


Seasons - Runaways Mythos One-Shots

by Aellax



Series: Runaways Mythos AU [3]
Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mythology, F/M, Gen, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-31 01:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17840000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aellax/pseuds/Aellax
Summary: Semi-connected one-shots taking place in a Greek Mythological AU, featuring gratuitous worldbuilding.1) Gert contemplates her position among the ranks of Artemis' handmaidens.





	Seasons - Runaways Mythos One-Shots

**Author's Note:**

> If you're here solely for shipping content, I'm really sorry! The Chase/Gert in this fic is very lightly implied. Karolina/Nico doesn't even appear here, so I didn't tag that. This one-shot is a Gert piece first and foremost.

Sometimes Gert thought she would prefer if she had been born human. As the daughter of one of the most popular gods in the pantheon, Gert had the privilege (or problem) of understanding just how the privileged ones lived. People like her parents were the epitome of disgustingly deranged privilege. Sure, Gert’s parents said that the kingdom was run like a business, but it was more of an indentured laborer operation than anything.

Gross.

It was no wonder that she had joined her great-great-however-many-great aunt’s hunters. Not that they did as much hunting as their name implied nowadays. Since the title of Artemis wasn’t passed down by birthright like the other ones, Gert found the idea of joining up as one of Artemis’ handmaidens pretty ideal. Her sisters-in-arms were all interesting and decidedly anti-establishment.

Sure, she was starting the understand some of the appeal of boys, but she continued to understand why it probably was not worth leaving the hunters just to pursue them. Besides, a hefty minority of the handmaidens (including the reigning Artemis herself) had... shall we say less than an interest in men. Nothing in the code that Gert had sworn forbade pursuing otherwise.

It wasn’t exactly a lifelong oath- hunters were just expected to keep it until they renounced their promise. Going back on the oath was heinous, but deciding that a different way of life suited someone was celebrated. Quite a few of the retired hunters that Gert had a soft spot for their times in the service of Artemis. Some of the handmaidens stayed for life, though. Middle-aged or elderly but still devoted to Artemis’ cause... Gert thought sometimes that she wanted to grow into a mentor for younger handmaidens someday.

The oath typically came with the lifestyle of a handmaiden, however. As a general rule, Artemis mistrusted when those sworn to her lived independent lives. Far-off missions solo directly in her service were rare, and Artemis tended not to give those to those that pulled away from her. A good handmaiden and hunter wanted to come back and serve the lady and her cause.

“Do you ever think of going back home?” Molly asked her once on a visit.

The question made Gert hesitate. Sometimes she reacted quickly because the answer seemed so obvious. But when that question came from her younger sister specifically, Gert was for once at a loss for the right words.

“I don’t want to wait around for my parents to die so I can lord over some stupid sun kingdom, if that’s what you’re asking,” Gert replied with less sharpness than she might have under other circumstances.

Molly nodded. “I meant back to us, not Dale and Stacey. You being able to visit me or Chase instead of waiting around until your missions make it convenient enough or you beg enough to get sent in the right direction.”

Scowling, Gert retorted, “If I was still living with my parents, then I would have to navigate around their schedules too. Karolina had to run away from home to see Nico.”

“Karolina’s mom is way, way, wayyyy stricter than your parents, though,” Molly pointed out with a frown.

“Same principle! I’m happy with the way things are.”

“Would things be different if-” Molly caught herself.

“If what?” Gert’s expression began to soften.

Molly wrapped her arms around her knees and averted Gert’s gaze. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me. You matter to me, Molly.”

Nobody else mattered more, if she was being honest. Not that she would say it aloud when Artemis had such pride.

“Do you promise not to get mad at me?”

Gert started to worry about what Molly could possibly be so reluctant to say. “I can’t promise not to have feelings, but I can promise not to take them out on you.”

“Did you leave home because I left home? When I had to take over from the regent? Please don’t hate me.”

Scratching at her neck, Gert shrugged. She did not feel mad, but she certainly felt guilty. And when Gert felt guilty, she deflected. “You keep acting like I’m going to blow up on you, which doesn’t seem fair at all.” Gert was pretty pleased with herself for not raising her voice.

Molly clenched her fists, and looked away again. “If you’re upset with me, you should say it instead of being all cryptic! I had to go back to Poseidon, but you didn’t have to come all the way here! Do you know how hard it is to send letters when someone doesn’t want to be found? Artemis is the worst.”

“Molly you can’t just say that Artemis is the worst when you really mean that she isn’t good at staying in one place. You are literally in Artemis’ camp right now.” Gert’s voice climbed half an octave, since she really did worry about starting a war. Artemis was best as goddess of the hunt; war as everyone else waged it could decimate the ranks of the handmaidens and ruin everything.

“Please, Gert. There’s still time to go back home. Someday you’ll get to rule your kingdom too, and then we can write letters that go to the right place and everything. Think about it.”

Gert did think about it. She thought about losing the chance to help human women in a tough spot or working to preserve endangered species. There were so few hunters, but so much world to save.

“You could go back home,” Artemis said one day out of the blue after a bonfire. Gert looked around, and could tell that it was just the two of them. The rest of her friends must have passed out already. “I do not have so many would-be crown princesses in my service, and your pledge does keep you from ascending to your supposed birthright.”

Gert could not remember Artemis ever addressing her like this. One of the tenants of service to Artemis was that intention was higher than birth status. Given, humans were only accepted into the ranks rarely because there was a bare minimum of strength needed to complete the tasks assigned by the goddess.

“I can do so much more from here than I could sitting around waiting for someone to die,” Gert said, crossing her arms. “This is what I chose.”

Artemis nodded. “Yes, but if that event were to occur sooner- not by our arrows, of course. Your father from birth has been benign enough.” The tone was not especially reassuring, but Gert believed her. “You could bring our guiding philosophies and actions further.”

“But away from you comes corruption,” Gert argued. Worldly pleasures, boys, annoying people.

“Think about it,” Artemis said gently. “I would be overjoyed to have you in my service, but you are determined to make change. It would be selfish of my not to let you know that this is not the only place that you can do good, Gert.”

Gert pushed her glasses up from where they had slid down her nose. “Are you trying to get me to leave?”

Artemis had the good sense to look embarrassed. “No, Gert. I’m sorry if I made you feel that way. You still have your whole life ahead of you, and I wanted you to be apprised of your options.”

“My parents didn’t try to persuade you to say that?”

This question made Artemis frown thoughtfully. “They did try to have words with me, but I told them that it’s your choice to make, and that you are under my protection.”

Gert did think about it for a long while. Overanalyzing the situation when given enough time was all she could really do with herself.

Months came and went, missions passed her by. She could not find the time to meet with Molly, and deliberately avoided visiting Chase when her travels took her near Hephaestus.

She told herself that this was a self-imposed exile of thought, but she also knew that there was something more to it than that. Acting like an idiot when she got too flustered would make everything worse.

Eventually, she worked up the nerve to request an audience with Artemis.

“I need to renounce my vow to your service,” Gert said with as much boldness as she could muster.

Artemis nodded understandingly. “Of course. I pray this will not make us enemies.”

“No, of course not. I’m giving up my place as your handmaiden, but never to your cause. I don’t understand exactly what I can do as a ruler, but I’d hate for some demagogue cousin to get the throne when I could do so much better.”

“I’m so proud of you, Gert,” Artemis said, opening her arms wide for a rare hug. 

“I’m scared, though.”

Artemis did not say anything, but did reply with, “Hmm?”

“I have no idea what I’m doing,” Gert admitted to Artemis’ shoulder. “Will you still be able to give me advice?”

“Yes, of course.” Artemis patted Gert’s back reassuringly.

“Could you make it easier to send you mail?” Gert asked suddenly.

Artemis pulled back, brow knitted together. “Pardon?”

“Molly- Poseidon- complained about the mail not being delivered on time or easily. Could we get, I don’t know, a mystical crate where we can visit when the camp is on the move so we always know where to get the mail?”

Nodding, Artemis agreed, “I shall think about it. Now, about those vows...”

Gert knelt down, and smiled sadly. A part of her had quietly dreamed of someday taking up the position of Artemis herself, but leading the domain of Apollo was not such a poor second choice.

Before she went back to her parents’ kingdom, though, she needed to go home.

As she packed up to leave, Gert murmured to herself, "I hope Molly doesn't mind a surprise visit.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've been dying to write about Artemis' hunters and handmaidens for a while, but it didn't fit in the Deanoru storyline.
> 
> Additionally, please let me know if you're interested more from any characters in this universe (whether or not they have appeared previously)!
> 
> Feel free to hit me up at karolina--deam.tumblr.com.


End file.
